Euro Pillow Covers: Sizes, Materials, and Where to Find Them in Canada

Euro pillows are the large square pillows propped at the back of a well-made bed. They look intentional, add visual height to a bed display, and serve as a comfortable backrest when you are sitting up. But finding the right euro pillow covers requires knowing a few things first: the standard dimensions, how cover sizing works compared to insert sizing, the difference between a sham and a plain cover, and what materials hold up best over time. This guide covers all of it.

What Size Are Euro Pillows?

The standard euro pillow insert measures 26 inches by 26 inches (66 cm x 66 cm) in North America. This is the size you will find in most Canadian bedding departments and online retailers. A few European brands produce inserts at 65x65 cm, which is slightly smaller, so there can be a small variation depending on where the insert was manufactured.

There is also a larger format sometimes called a "continental" pillow at 65x65 cm or 70x70 cm, common in European markets and available through specialty importers in Canada. When buying covers for these, confirm the insert size in centimetres before ordering.

How Euro Pillow Cover Sizing Works

Euro pillow covers are typically sized to match the insert or to be slightly smaller. A cover cut to exactly 26x26 inches will fit snugly on a 26x26 inch insert, but many sleepers and decorators prefer a cover sized 25x25 or 25.5x25.5 inches, which forces the insert to fill the cover completely, eliminating any wrinkling or collapsed-corner look.

Insert Size	Recommended Cover Size	Result
26 x 26 in	26 x 26 in (exact match)	Full but may have slight extra fabric
26 x 26 in	25 x 25 in (1 inch smaller)	Very full, structured look, preferred by most decorators
26 x 26 in	24 x 24 in (2 inches smaller)	Very firm, good for structured decorative use
65 x 65 cm	65 x 65 cm cover	Exact match for European-format pillows

The rule of thumb from professional interior designers is to go one to two inches smaller than the insert for the best-looking result. The insert pushes into the cover fully, the corners stay sharp, and the pillow holds its shape over the course of a day.

Euro Sham vs. Euro Pillow Cover: What Is the Difference?

These terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe slightly different products.

Euro Sham

A euro sham is a decorative pillow cover that typically features:

• A fabric flange (a flat border) of 1.5 to 3 inches around the outer edge
• An envelope-style back closure (overlapping fabric flaps) rather than a zipper
• A more formal, structured appearance suited to decorative bed staging

Shams are sold as part of duvet cover sets or bedding collections and are designed to coordinate with specific patterns. They are the classic choice for the square back pillows you see on hotel beds and in interior design photography.

Euro Pillow Cover (Plain)

A plain euro pillow cover has:

• No flange border
• A zipper or envelope closure
• A cleaner, more minimal appearance

Plain covers are more versatile , they work in minimalist, Scandinavian, and contemporary bedroom styles where a flanged border would look fussy. They are also easier to wash and dry than shams with wide borders.

Materials for Euro Pillow Covers

The material of the cover affects how the pillow looks, how it feels against your skin, and how it ages with washing. Here is a comparison of the most common options available in Canada:

Material	Feel	Durability	Care	Best Style Fit
Percale cotton	Crisp, cool	Excellent	Machine wash, easy	Classic, hotel-style
Sateen cotton	Smooth, slightly shiny	Very good	Machine wash, gentle	Elegant, formal bedrooms
Linen	Textured, relaxed	Excellent (improves over time)	Machine wash, low heat	Coastal, rustic, relaxed
Velvet	Plush, soft	Good (can crush)	Spot clean or dry clean	Luxe, dramatic, accent use
Microfibre	Soft, smooth	Good	Machine wash, easy	Budget-friendly, practical
Faux linen blends	Textured	Good	Machine wash	Casual, affordable
Silk	Smooth, cool, luxurious	Delicate	Hand wash or dry clean	High-end decorative

Cotton Percale and Sateen

Cotton is the most practical choice for euro covers that will be washed regularly. Percale (a plain weave with a matte finish) is crisp and cool. Sateen (a weave that exposes more thread on the surface) has a subtle sheen and a smoother hand. Both hold colour well and soften with washing. Look for a thread count of 200 to 400 , beyond 400, thread count marketing becomes less meaningful as a quality indicator.

Linen

Linen euro covers have become very popular in Canada over the past several years, driven by the movement toward relaxed, natural bedroom aesthetics. Linen is naturally temperature-regulating, gets softer with every wash, and ages beautifully. It wrinkles easily, which some people view as a design feature. Belgian and French linen are considered premium sources; look for 100% linen rather than linen-cotton blends if durability and natural feel are priorities.

Velvet

Velvet euro covers are a statement piece. They add richness and depth to a bedroom and photograph beautifully. The practical downsides are that velvet crushes over time (leaving permanent impressions from pressing against headboards or other pillows), and velvet requires more careful laundering. For a bedroom where the bed is made every day and euro pillows are displayed rather than sat against, velvet can look exceptional.

Decorative vs. Functional Use of Euro Pillows

Most euro pillows in Canadian bedrooms are purely decorative. They are placed at the back of the bed each morning, used to photograph well, and moved to a chair or the floor at night. For this use, the cover material is primarily a visual and textural choice.

Some sleepers use euro pillows functionally:

• Backrest when reading or watching TV in bed: The large square format is very well suited to this. A firm fill (down or high-density foam insert) works better than a very soft fill for back support.
• Lumbar support: Placed behind the lower back when sitting up, a euro pillow can function like a lumbar support cushion.
• Side-sleeping body pillow alternative: A euro pillow hugged to the chest by a side sleeper provides some of the same hip and shoulder alignment benefits as a longer body pillow.

For functional use, choose a cover material that is easy to wash (cotton or linen) and avoid delicate closures like buttons or envelope backs that can be uncomfortable or fragile.

Euro Pillow Inserts: Fill Options

The cover is only half the equation. The insert inside determines how the pillow looks and functions. Common fill options for 26x26 euro inserts in Canada include:

Fill Type	Firmness	Loft Retention	Best For
Down	Soft to medium	Excellent over time	Decorative, luxurious feel
Down-alternative	Soft to medium	Good (3 to 5 years)	Allergy-friendly, budget
Feather and down blend	Medium	Very good	Balance of cost and feel
High-density foam	Firm	Excellent	Structured display, backrest
Polyfibre	Soft	Fair (flattens over time)	Budget decorative use

For a euro pillow that will be used daily as a backrest, a firm foam insert holds its shape much better than a soft fill. For a purely decorative euro pillow that will be handled gently, a quality down or feather-down blend gives a plush, rounded appearance.

How Many Euro Pillows Per Bed Size

Bed Size	Euro Pillows	Notes
Twin / Single	1	One centred, or replace with standard decorative pillow
Double / Full	1 to 2	Two can feel crowded; one centred is often cleaner
Queen	2	Standard arrangement; leaves room for sleeping pillows in front
King	3	Three fills the headboard width naturally

Where to Find Euro Pillow Covers in Canada

Canadian shoppers have good options in-store and online:

• Hudson's Bay: Carries a broad range from basic to premium, including designer bedding collections with matching euro shams.
• IKEA Canada: Excellent value for plain cotton and linen euro covers in neutral tones. Sizing is to Swedish standards, so check dimensions carefully.
• HomeSense / Winners: Great for finding premium euro covers at discounted prices, though selection changes constantly.
• Wayfair Canada: Largest online selection, including specialist linen and velvet options that are hard to find in-store.
• Amazon.ca: Reliable for basic cotton and microfibre covers; read reviews carefully for sizing accuracy.
• Pottery Barn Canada: High-end options with a focus on quality cotton, linen, and velvet in classic styles.

Coordinating Euro Covers with Your Bedding

Euro covers work best when they relate to the other textiles on the bed without being perfectly matchy. A few approaches that work well:

• Tone-on-tone: Use a euro cover in the same colour family as your duvet cover but in a different texture (e.g., linen euro covers with a sateen duvet cover).
• Contrast insert: Use a euro cover in a contrasting colour pulled from an accent in the bedding pattern.
• Set coordination: Buy the euro shams as part of a full duvet cover set to ensure pattern matching.

For guidance on building a cohesive bedding set, our article on down filled pillows covers fill and loft choices that complement decorative arrangements.

Caring for Euro Pillow Covers

Most cotton and microfibre euro covers are machine washable in warm water on a gentle cycle. Linen covers benefit from a cold or cool wash to prevent shrinkage and should be line dried or tumble dried on low. Velvet covers should be spot cleaned or dry cleaned to preserve the pile. Check the care label before the first wash, particularly for covers with embroidery, buttons, or structured borders.

Wash euro covers at least once a month if the pillows are used as backrests, or every two months if they are purely decorative and protected by a separate pillow insert underneath the cover.

Sources

1. Sleep Foundation, "Standard Pillow Sizes," sleepfoundation.org, 2024.
2. Architectural Digest, "How to Style Euro Shams on a Bed," architecturaldigest.com, 2023.
3. Textile Exchange, linen and cotton sourcing standards, textileexchange.org, 2023.
4. House Beautiful, "The Difference Between a Pillow Sham and a Pillowcase," housebeautiful.com, 2023.
5. Martha Stewart Living, "How to Choose Pillow Inserts," marthastewart.com, 2024.

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